Can you afford to have your car off the road?

Analysts have revealed that the 2016/2017 State Budget will mean that average WA households will need to find an extra $160 per year to cover bills, with the main increases in electricity and water bills.

The growing cost of living can make it more and more difficult to make ends meet, and sometimes it is necessary to cut down on luxury items.  Sometimes, car maintenance can be a casualty of cutting costs in households.  But, it is important to remember that your vehicle is not a luxury item, it is an important necessity for your family.  Can you really afford to have your car off the road?

Getting your car serviced regularly can seem like an expense you can do without, but as these case studies of some actual customers show…cutting the cost of regular maintenance for your vehicle can end up costing you a whole lot more.

 

Case Study 1

Our young married customers were awaiting the birth of their first child and were trying to save as much money as they could before they were reduced to one income.  The husband was self employed and drove a diesel van for his business.  While money was tight, they skipped one scheduled service, thinking it would not hurt. 

However, at 62,000km their diesel van broke down.  The van was still under warranty, so they towed it to their dealer, who advised that they were going to need a new motor, as the engine oil had run dry and the motor had seized.  Due to not maintaining their scheduled logbook services, the customers had voided their warranty, and had to pay for the new motor at a cost of over $6,500. 

Had the customers realized the damage they were doing to the engine, they could have paid a lot smaller amount for their service, and saved themselves a lot of money!

Case Study 2

Changing your spark plugs can seem like an expensive addition to your servicing schedule.  It can be tempting to skip that part of the service, and “put it off until next time”.  However, spark plugs are a very important component of your car, providing the “spark” for ignition.

If your spark plugs are not changed within the manufacturers guidelines, and they begin to deteriorate, the voltage required to fire them increases. This increased voltage puts much greater stress on ignition coils and wires, and can cause ignition failure – at a much greater cost to your pocket!

For example, a 2012 Toyota Corolla requires its spark plugs to be changed at a total cost of $150.    Compare this to 4 spark plugs and ignition coils (at $150 each because you waited too long) could cost anywhere from $400, maybe more. As you can see, changing plugs before the ignition fails makes very good economic sense!

If you are trying to keep a rein on your car costs, consider at least having an oil and oil filter change every six months.  With prices starting from $160.00 for a minor service and full safety check, we can advise you of any urgent items that need replacing, and keep your car running smoothly in the meantime.   If you plan on keeping your vehicle past the warranty, having an engine oil change and inspection done at least twice a year or every 10,000 km is cheap insurance. 


If you would like to book your car in for a maintenance service, please don't hesitate to call us on (08) 9452 7972 or click here to book.